. >> reporter: the debt ceiling suspension came with a couple strings attached. if senate democrats don't pass a budget-- something they haven't done for four years-- members of congress won't get paid until they do. >> this bill simply says, "congress, do your job." when i grew up in wisconsin, if you had a job and you did the work, then you got paid. if you didn't do the work, you didn't get paid. it's that simple. >> house democrats called the pay ploy a gimmick and said a 90 day reprieve from default simply moves the crisis back. >> for the last two years, we've heard from our republican colleagues economic uncertainty is bad for the economy. guess what? it is. and yet that's exactly what you are doing. another big dose of economic uncertainty. >> reporter: republicans shifted gears on the debt ceiling after a strategy session last week. worried that they have lost the public debate, republicans were clearly trying out a new message today. >> balancing the budget over the next ten years means we save the future for our kids and our grandkids. it also means th